is beijing -- whether it is rome, whether it is shanghai, whether it is some place in africa or some place in russia. if i say, ♪ i left my heart ♪ they immediately say tony and them. that means the national anthem for san francisco and literally for america have come from this extraordinarily talented human being. >> ♪ i left my heart in san francisco ♪ >> ok, here we are down memory lane. we are at the at&t park, home of the san francisco giants. as you know, we sing your song after every win of the giants, so we have been sitting here a lot. you were here in 2011 for the

opening, and you sang your song, and guess what? we won the world series. so, tony, we want you back. [applause] >> tony bennett has said his song "i left my heart in san francisco" changed his whole life. well, it has affected our lives as well. from the first time tony sang this beautiful love song to every time we hear it sweet sounds after a winning giants game, it deepens our love for our home town and for tony bennett. >> ♪ above the blue >> here we are above the blue and windy city been -- sea in your city by the bay. remember 25 years ago, you were to come here and sing with the san francisco symphony for the

50th anniversary of the golden gate bridge -- you were before me at the theater, and you may remember that this place was really filled with people, thousands and thousands of people that came to celebrate. and you could not get through the crowd. so i said, cassette and ok, let's get a helicopter land it in front of city hall -- "ok, let's get a helicopter, led it in front of city hall." they said you were afraid of helicopters, and i said to blindfold you. magically, you got here and sang your song. when you sang "i left my heart in san francisco" and the cascade of fireworks came over the bridge, it was a moment -- i'm getting chill bumps -- it was a moment to remember. >> i wish i were still mayor of

san francisco to be able to be the one that gives you the key to the city, but what i can show you is a painting that goes a ways back. it was in 1983, i think. both of us on a newly restored cable car, and celebrating the return of the cable cars and also "i left my heart in san francisco." you have helped put san francisco on the map and kept it there with that beautiful song. thank you and congratulations. >> ♪ in san francisco >> i guess you recognize where i am. you left your heart and lots of memories for thousands and thousands of patrons for the san francisco symphony. most recently, you were here with k.d. lang and you all were

having the best time. it was for the black and white ball, and you made us have a wonderful time, as you always have. what i really remember is when you were here, sitting right up there was her royal majesty queen elizabeth of england. you made her smile. you made her laugh. the show was by beach blanket babylon and cast of about 1000. mary margaret sanger "getting to know all about you" and you ended the show with your song, "i left my heart in san francisco." you have left it here, but please come back many times because your heart is waiting for you here, and so are we. much love. thank you. >> thank you. >> it has been the height of my career to welcome you here. >> so nice to have you with us again. >> ♪ your golden sun will shine

for me ♪ [applause] >> 50 years of "i left my heart in san francisco." phenomenal. lot of san franciscans have left a big part of their hearts with you, and one of those is the man who leads our world champion san francisco giants. that is championships' problem -- championship bling right

there. i want to bring up to the stage now my boss, the man who leads your san francisco giants, and your biggest fan, mr. larry bvaer -- baer. >>thanks renel. tony's recording is a huge part of not just the city tradition but the san francisco giants tradition. since we have been in the new ball park, it has been played a total of 573 times after giants wins, including playoff wins and including world series wins. [applause] importantly, you know, we almost lost the giants. in 1993, we made some desperate

calls to tony when the team was saved, and we asked tony -- there is only one person that could kick off the new generation, the new era of giants baseball on opening day in 1993, and that was tony bennett. he sang "god bless america" and "i left my heart in san francisco" on that date. it was an unbelievable day. it brought down the house, as did your performance at the all- star game. as did your performance at the world series. you are a huge part of the san francisco giants. as we all know, you have not arrived until you have your own bobblehead. [laughter] last year, we created a created abobblehea -- a tony bennett

bobblehead for tony bennett night. it has a voice chip, and when you push the head, it sings "i left my heart in san francisco." tony painted a heart, part of the heroes with hart's program, and it is permanently on display at union square. next time you are at union square, check it out. it is really quite beautiful. it is only fitting that on this 50th anniversary, we create a permanent place in honor of tony at our ball park. we are going to rename suite 1, the most majestic in the park, sweeping views of the day and the city -- it is now going to be the tony bennett suite. come by for a visit. [applause] we love you, tony. [applause]

>> thank you, larry. i have to find a way to make it down to that sweet this season -- suite this season. i think we know the most popular place to watch a giant game is going to be this city. our city is blessed with many wonderful one-of-a-kind institutions that are no less part of san francisco than the golden gate bridge, such as the world's longest-running musical revue, "beach blanket babylon." yes. [applause] so we have a special treat for you today. "beach blanket babylon" together with mayor lee have created a special musical tribute to tony bennett in honor of all the things he has done to our city -- done for our city.

i'm honored to present this to our friend, tony bennett. ♪ >> ♪ the fabulous tony bennett home the world all seems to know sang a song about this town and it left our city of low -- aglow grammy awards, and the awards, and a kennedy nominate a star on hollywood and vine all to honor his legacy

he's a painter his picasso he's got the class of fred astaire and today, we are gathered here to show you just how much we care you hold our hearts in san francisco so many songs you've sung to me and the rags to riches what a sound

and a man who sings never retire of san francisco i love your album "duets" both i and ii for there is no one quite like you you are the heart

of san francisco one of the greats we know it's true for when you graced us -- our town of san francisco our golden sun will shine on new -- you ♪ [applause] mr. bennett.

♪ it only takes a tiny corner of this great big world to find a place that you love you have brought us so much joy you are a golden boy we love to have you here in our great towner of -- town of san francisco open your golden gates san francisco here is your wondering words singing other places only make me love you better you are the heart of all the

gold in the world san francisco welcome me home again i'm coming home ♪ [applause] >> keep the applause going for the fabulous lisa malone. that was just terrific.

[applause] i almost wore the same thing today. [laughter] would have been so awkward. [laughter] no, she was fantastic. now, everyone, without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome our host, the 43rd mayor of the city and county of san been cisco, the honorable edwin m. lee -- the 43rd mayor of the city and county of san francisco. [applause] mayor lee: wow, welcome to city hall. and thank you, beach blanket babylon. what a wonderful performance. let's give her another hand. that was just fantastic. when i started being mayor of the city, i turned to our protocol officer and said, "you know, charlotte, we are going to do a lot of work this year, but

these years forthcoming, as we work hard, i want to also have fun. isn't this fun? all right. [applause] this is our 50th anniversary of the wonderful song, "i left my heart in san francisco." tony, it is wonderful for you to be here and grace us and honor us with your presence. your 17 grammys are just so unprecedented. you just won two more this past week, and what a wonderful career. congratulations, tony. i want to thank our school of the arts. i want to thank our boys and girls choruses. thank you. wonderful performances. it is a fitting tribute that our boys and girls choruses and ouryouth -- our yout are here

today to perform because they reflect tony's dedicated career to ensure the future of arts education. we have seen what he has done and seen what his support is, and he is encouraging youth to be leaders on and off the stage, to make sure they grow up with the values and the shared values that he has. this is such a wonderful opportunity. i also want to thank some of the school kids especially here today. we have kids from our tenderloin community school. thank you for being here. [applause] all right. we also have, for the first time, at the request of -- the idea ofcesa -- that cesar chavez elementary school wanted us to webcast this live, so we did it for them.

wherever you are, welcome. [applause] tony, for 50 years, you have helped us not only remember a great song, but whenever any of us leave our town, we always come back and call san francisco our home. i know we talked a little earlier and tried to recall that wonderful initiation where in 1961, you first sang that song in the venetian room up at the fairmont. little did you know at the time that then mayor george christopher was in the audience with joe alioto. it was such a marvelous performance that when joe became mayor, he adopted that as one of our two official anthems. thank you for performing first in san francisco. [applause] tony, you have helped us celebrate so many milestones in

our city. you have helped us after earthquakes to come back and revive the spirit of our wonderful city. you have designed the wonderful art pieces to raise funds for those who need that service. you help us to reopen. after earthquakes, you have helped us climb -- not half way, you have helped us climb all the way to the stars with the -- a nation of our cable cars. you have just -- i in your career, you have generated more love and more nostalgic for our bay area -- more nostalgia for our bay area than all the songs and all the movies and all the television shows associated with us combine. for that reason -- it is really for that reason, tony, that it

is my pleasure if you would please come up, to declare today, valentine's day, february 14, 2012, as tony bennett day in san francisco. [applause] and also, on behalf of all of us and with all of our love and with all of our hearts together, to present to you the key to the city of san francisco. [applause]

>> would you like to say a few words? you have 45 minutes. [laughter] >> well, i would like to thank mr. ralph sharon, my great friend and musician, for finding this song. i was in little rock, arkansas, and we were on our way for the first time in my life. he found a song, and he said, "why don't we do this in san francisco?" i said ok, and i have no idea, but there was a bartender who said, cassette and i don't mean to interrupt your rehearsal, but if you record that song, i'm going to be the first customer

-- "i don't mean to interrupt your rehearsal, but if you record that song, i'm going to be the first customer." as i started singing it, the people came up and said, "you have to record the song immediately." i always thought it would be a local song in the area, but the fact that it has become such an international song throughout the world -- everybody loves it, and they love this city. it reminds me of one time when i was playing the fairmont hotel, gorbachev from russia with here and travel throughout the whole united states and in front of the company could tell, i was listening to him speak about san francisco. he said, "i traveled to every city in the united states, and i was disappointed with what i saw. there was not one city that i

liked, but as far as i'm concerned, san francisco is so beautiful that i would like to design 15 cities in russia that look like san francisco." [laughter] and he was right. [applause] my wonderful wife, my family is here. i'm thrilled. thank you very much. i must say -- excuse me, i have to mention one thing. i have never seen anything in my life as beautiful as these young people. [applause] you stand so beautiful. [applause]

-- you sang so beautiful. [applause] >> it is tony bennett day in san francisco. [applause] just fantastic. now, before we leave here today, just one more time, let's hear that special song one more time, now performed by the talented san francisco gay men's chorus, who will be joined by -- yes -- who will be joined by all of our performers here today and then all of you. you can sing along by following the lyrics on the screens. ladies and gentlemen, the san francisco gay men's chorus. [applause] ♪ >> ♪ the loveliness of paris

seems some house sadly -- somehow sadly gay the glory that was rome is of another day i've been terribly alone and four got 10 -- forgotten in manhattan i'm going home to my city by the day -- city by the bay ♪ >> and now it is your turn. >> ♪ i left my heart in san francisco

high on a hill it calls to me to be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars in the morning fog may chill the air i don't care my love waits there in san francisco of of the blue and windy see -- above the blue and windy sea

when i come home to you san francisco your golden sun will shine for me ♪ [applause] >> very nice job, everybody. well, as we close here today, mr. bennett, you have always had the key to our hearts. now you have the key to our

city. we hope to see you back here soon in your city by the bay. thank you for this wonderful gift you have given us all these years and thank you so much for letting us honor you today. tony bennett day in san francisco. once again, for the man of the hour. [applause] thank you all so much for celebrating with us today. happy valentine's day. we will see you at the ballpark.